6 NORTHERN NEWS, FEBRUARY 13, 2013
NEWS
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Unity move gets recognition
It has been a year since
Northland mayors and Te
Taitokerau Iwi leaders met
former Local Government
Minister Nick Smith on Wai-
tangi Day last year to outline
their proposals for better
local government in the
region.
And advocates for a Far
North unitary authority call
Waitangi a fitting place to
mark a milestone that would
see Maori representation at
the local government level.
Mayor Wayne Brown says
it is fitting that the proposal
originated at Waitangi
where the Treaty was
signed.
We believe that the Far
North has a better chance of
prospering if Maori and non-
Maori address social and
economic problems and
opportunities as partners in
a strategic alliance.
We re breaking new
ground here and hopefully
setting an example that
other progressive councils in
New Zealand will follow.
Working group co-chairman
Rangitane Marsden says
having the support of the
iwi/Maori sector is highly
progressive.
The Far North must not
squander the opportunity for
Maori and non-Maori to
come together and work col-
laboratively in the best
interests of all people in the
district.
The proposal represents
an opportunity to build
nationhood, heal past
grievances and look to the
future.
The future can and will
be shaped by us coming
together through a vehicle of
strategic direction and part-
nership, which is what our
unitary authority proposal
offers.
Last month, the Govern-
ment announced it would
investigate a reorganisation
proposal developed by a
group of Far North District
Council and Te Taitokerau
Iwi Leaders Forum
members. Mr Brown says
the Better Local Government
in the Far North Working
Group is delighted its appli-
cation is progressing.
Commission to
look at changes
Potential changes to the
way Northlanders are rep-
resented around the
Northland Regional Coun-
cil table are a step closer
after a visit from the Local
Government Commission,
a Northland Regional
Council release says.
The proposed changes
at the regional council
level would see the estab-
lishment of seven con-
stituencies to replace the
existing three and an
increase of councillors who
would take a pay cut to
ensure that no more than
the current $388,840 sal-
ary pool is spent.
As part of a six-yearly
representation review
required under the Local
Electoral Act 2001,
regional councillors are
proposing abandoning
what they see as an out-
dated model governing
how they re elected and
who they represent.
After considering sub-
missions made during a
month long public sub-
mission period, councillors
in October last year
agreed to a number of pro-
posed changes.
Council chairman Craig
Brown says several sub-
mitters had subsequently
lodged appeals against
various aspects of the
council s decision and the
commission had travelled
to Whangarei on February
5 to hear from the regional
council and those opposed
to the changes.
Mr Brown says the
three-member commission
will now consider the vari-
ous matters raised and is
expected to issue its de-
cision by early April.
He says it s important to
bear in mind the review is
an entirely separate legal
process from the Far
North District Council s
proposal to become a uni-
tary authority, which the
commission is also invest-
igating.
Our representation
review is not concerned
with what form the vari-
ous arms of local govern-
ment in Northland should
take.
It s about the way our
councillors are elected to
the regional council.
It s designed to
strengthen the represen-
tation Northlanders get at
the council table.
It aims to empower
communities to better
serve their own needs and
aspirations and contribute
to regional decision-
making.
Submissions to address submissions
People will have another
chance to make further com-
ment on the Northland
Regional Council s Proposed
Regional Policy Statement.
The policy statement must
identify Northland s signifi-
cant resource management
issues and establish how
resources will be managed.
A previous two-month long
period for public comment on
the proposed policy state-
ment ended December 2012
with 885 submissions.
The most common sub-
mission themes included
genetic engineering, mining,
the mapping process iden-
tifying the region s outstand-
ing natural areas and coastal
land, and economic wellbe-
ing, says Ms Ross, the
regional council s general
manager planning and pol-
icy.The next step is a further
submission period, where
people will have an oppor-
tunity to support or oppose
those original submissions.
It s important to remem-
ber this period is designed to
allow for further comment on
the issues that have already
been identified through pre-
vious submissions; it s not an
opportunity to raise new
issues, Ms Ross says.
She says the latest sub-
mission period will run for a
fortnight, from February 18
to 3pm March 1.
If anyone needs help to
understand how best to use
this opportunity, regional
council staff are happy to
assist and can be contacted
on 0800 002 004.
Once the latest submission
period ends, a panel of three
independent commissioners
will then hear from any sub-
mitters who wish to speak in
support of their submissions
-- as well any objectors.
The panel then considers
all submissions along with
council staff recommenda-
tions before making recom-
mendations to councillors on
final decisions.
Regional council staff have
worked closely with a seven-
member committee of
regional councillors, the
deputy mayors of the Far
North and Kaipara districts,
and a senior Whangarei dis-
trict councillor.
While the Proposed RPS
doesn t set rules itself, it
does filter down into district
and regional plans which
contain the rules around
how people, businesses and
industry use Northland s
resources so it s been really
important to get that inter-
council co-operation, Ms
Ross says.
The proposed policy state-
ment and supporting docu-
ments are available online at
nrc.govt.nz/newRPS or as
hard copies at regional coun-
cil offices and at public lib-
raries.